The present invention relates to analyte monitoring systems and health management systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to method and system for providing basal profile modification in analyte monitoring systems to improve insulin therapy in diabetic patients.
In data communication systems such as continuous, semi-continuous or discrete analyte monitoring systems for insulin therapy, analyte levels of a patient are monitored and/or measured, and the measured analyte levels are used for treatment. For example, real time values of measured analyte levels of a patient would allow for a more robust and accurate diabetes treatment. Moreover, a profile of a series of measured analyte levels of a diabetic patient can provide valuable information regarding the fluctuations and variations of the analyte levels in a diabetic patient. In turn, this type of information would be invaluable in establishing a suitable insulin therapy regimen.
Many diabetic patients that use an infusion device such as an infusion pump generally have preset or pre-established basal profiles which are programmed or stored into the infusion device by the patient's physician or the patient herself. Indeed, based on several factors such as insulin sensitivity, the patient's physiology and other variable factors that affect the patient's analyte levels, the physician may tailor the basal profiles of the patient to be programmed into the infusion device such that the patient's analyte level is maintained within an acceptable range, and thus the patient is not going to experience hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.
While physicians attempt to best determine the most suitable basal profiles for each diabetic patient using the infusion device, it is often difficult to attain the most suitable profiles to ensure the safe operating range of the infusion device while providing the patient with the most suitable level of insulin at all times when the patient is wearing and operating the infusion device.
Often, diabetics who use infusion pumps run basal profiles to maintain a steady level of insulin and also, supplement with additional boluses administered typically with the same infusion pumps. Various devices exist that enable the determination of the appropriate bolus to supplement the basal profiles. For example, prior to the ingestion of a large quantity of carbohydrates, the patient is able to calculate a carbohydrate bolus and administer the same with the infusion pump so that the intake of the carbohydrates does not adversely impact the patient's physiology. While bolus supplements are useful and critical to a well managed insulin therapy regimen, it does not address the underlying concern related to the basal profiles that the infusion devices are programmed to administer.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to have a method and system for providing basal profile modification for diabetic patients so as to comprehend each patient's unique physiology as well as response to insulin intake. More specifically, it would be desirable to modify basal profiles such that as the use of the infusion device progresses, the patient's basal profiles may be tailored to be more suitable for that patient.